टॉलस्टॉय: एक माणूस

Just finished reading a biograpgy of Leo Tolstoy (टॉलस्टॉय: एक माणूस, सुमति देवस्थळे). My knowledge of Tolstoy so far ended with the name 'War and Peace'. But here is a story of great drama, of the highest in human values and also the lowest in human nature. The name of Tolstoy is more famous for his literary work, what is less well known (it seems to me) is that the philosphy of non violent, truth based opposition that was so successful in giving us our freedom first originated with Tolstoy (Gandhiji also considered himself his follower). While rote learning and strict discipline were the norm of the educational system, his come-and-go-when-you-like school, with the responsibility of keeping the attention of students being that of the teachers proved a successful reform, and many of its principles were later adopted by modern educational systems. He did not feel that the textbooks were good enough, so he wrote his own, which are still read. He was a promoter of education of the elderly, but when we noticed that the literate among those still hardly had anything good to read, he wrote his own books for them too. In later life he became a champion of reform of and for the poor. He accepted God but rejected all the superstitions and rituals. His compassion made him a shining ray of hope for the whole world.

But Tolstoy's life was also one of paradox. He was often disappointed in his experiments, because the same people he wanted to help were not sufficiently patient, or focused on short term gains. He preached restraint, but was not very successful in his own life with this (as his very frank diary entries show). He preached love for all humanity, but his focus on high ideals led to ignorance of his children (the story of Gandhiji and his son Harilal has some parallels here). He rejected all compromises about his principles, so he was unable to see their practical limits and chose to ignore very valid objections. Towards the end of his life he was torn between the demands of his publicity hungry, materialistic and (later) hysterical wife, and those of his followers who wanted Tolstoy to live all his principles to satisfy their idealogical needs, but forgetting he was human too. And this son of rich landowners who voluntarily rejected all comforts, died a tragic death beacuse of it. But in the end all this, the strengths and the shortcomings, the triumphs and the defeats together make us human. And the book does a commendable of job of portraying the human side of Tolstoy. As for me, I am glad to have read and learned from this book. Maybe I'll pick War and Peace in my next trip to landmark!